Former Cincinnati Bengals running back Rudi Johnson died on September 23, 2025, at age 45 in what Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office investigators believe was a suicide. The Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded to a call in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, at approximately 11:13 a.m. ET on Monday to treat an adult trauma alert patient.
Detective Joseph Peguero told NBC News that “all indications are leading to suicide” with no foul play suspected. The investigation remains ongoing, and no official cause of death has been announced by medical authorities.
Johnson’s agent Peter Schaffer indicated that the former NFL star had been struggling with mental health issues and possible effects of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head trauma. Family sources told TMZ Sports that Johnson had been battling these challenges but could not overcome them.
The Virginia native was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth round with the 100th overall pick of the 2001 NFL Draft out of Auburn University. Johnson spent seven seasons with Cincinnati from 2001 to 2007 before finishing his career with the Detroit Lions in 2008.
After limited playing time in his first two seasons behind Pro Bowl runner Corey Dillon, Johnson emerged as the team’s starting running back in 2003. He rushed for 957 yards and nine touchdowns that season while making five starts in 13 games.
Johnson’s most productive years came from 2004 to 2006, when he rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each season. In 2004, he earned his lone Pro Bowl selection after rushing for 1,454 yards and 12 touchdowns on 361 carries. He followed that performance with 1,458 yards in 2005 and 1,309 yards in 2006, scoring 12 touchdowns in each of those seasons.
His 1,458-yard rushing performance in 2005 remains the single-season franchise record for the Bengals. Johnson’s 1,454-yard season ranks second in team history, while his 1,309-yard campaign places sixth. He finished his Cincinnati career with 48 rushing touchdowns, third on the franchise’s all-time list behind Pete Johnson and Joe Mixon.
Johnson helped lead the Bengals to the 2005 AFC North title, though the team’s playoff run ended with a 31-17 wild-card loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Hamstring injuries limited his effectiveness in 2007, when he managed only 497 yards rushing with a career-low 2.9 yards per carry before the Bengals released him.
The Detroit Lions signed Johnson for the 2008 season, where he appeared in 14 games but started only four due to injuries. He finished with 237 rushing yards and 88 receiving yards with two touchdowns before retiring. Johnson concluded his eight-year NFL career with 5,979 rushing yards and 49 rushing touchdowns across 95 games.
Before his professional career, Johnson starred at Auburn University in 2000 after transferring from Butler Community College in Kansas. He rushed for 1,567 yards and 13 touchdowns during his lone season with the Tigers, earning Southeastern Conference Player of the Year honors. Johnson finished 10th in Heisman Trophy voting that year and helped Auburn to a 9-4 record.
Just days before his death, Johnson was posthumously inducted into the Chesterfield Sports Hall of Fame on September 18 as a graduate of Thomas Dale High School in Chester, Virginia, and product of the Ettrick Trojans youth football program. Though Johnson did not attend the ceremony in person, organizers played a video message he had recorded for the event.
In the video, Johnson encouraged young athletes from his home county, telling them to dream big and stay focused. His mother Janice Johnson accepted the honor on his behalf during the ceremony, less than a week before his death.
Bengals president Mike Brown released a statement expressing the organization’s grief over Johnson’s passing. Brown described Johnson as dependable and productive as a player, noting that everyone liked him and saw him as a dear friend.
Schaffer called for increased research into chronic traumatic encephalopathy and better support systems for players dealing with its effects. He emphasized that Johnson lived his life in service to others and established the Rudi Johnson Foundation in 2005 to support children and families in need.
Auburn University honored Johnson in a social media statement, mourning the loss of their former SEC Player of the Year and describing him as one of the best players to wear the orange and blue uniform.
